


we are better people

by 14crushed



Series: exploring the possibilities [2]
Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Government Supported Private Investigator Ending | GSPI (Henry Stickmin), M/M, Rapidly Promoted Executive Ending | RPE (Henry Stickmin), Toppat Civil Warfare Ending | TCW (Henry Stickmin), this takes place during a lot of different endings and i guess i gotta tag em all. alright.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29473647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/14crushed/pseuds/14crushed
Summary: Love across different timelines, in different scenarios.
Relationships: Burt Curtis/Sven Svensson, Charles Calvin/Rupert Price, Dave Panpa/Henry Stickmin, Hubert Galeforce/Dmitri Johannes Petrov, Reginald Copperbottom/Right Hand Man
Series: exploring the possibilities [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115336
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	we are better people

**Author's Note:**

> happy late valentine's day everyone

**I. cope**

It’s harder to deal with these things on his own. Dave knows this, but it hadn't stopped him from trying so hard to isolate himself anyways. 

He was so used to being alone, why does he have to be with people  _ now? _ Six months of being imprisoned for being in the wrong place at the wrong time changed him fundamentally. He is so deprived of the attention he needs. But now he's getting it, like he wanted, and he has no idea how to react. Why isn't he happy about it?

They don't push away even when he thinks they would. Henry, especially, doesn't. He never leaves Dave’s side and makes sure he never has to spend a moment alone, even though it’s important that he relearns that being alone does not equal loneliness. He just cares so much, much more than anyone else in Dave’s life has ever cared for him, and he can feel just where that care comes from. They are both very lonely people, aren't they?

Henry was alone by choice and Dave was alone by force. They have their different reasons for why they came out the way they did. Henry led a life of crime and Dave just wanted to do the right thing. They both suffered for it, especially in their isolation.

They have each other, though. They aren't as lonely anymore.

**II. panic.**

Lord, he is a coward. He should've dealt with the intruder all by himself.

Reginald drags his husband’s corpse from out of the engines, trying and failing to not gag and sob with just how desecrated it is. Did Henry have to be so violent? Was it necessary to ruin him beyond repair just to change his mind about arresting him in the first place?

Of course it wasn't necessary. But it's been so long since he and his husband had seen their child again. They didn't know what had happened for him to do this.

But still, he is a coward and a-good-for-nothing and a terrible leader and husband. Why had Right immediately jumped to putting himself in danger for him? He doesn't deserve it. He has to take care of these things himself. He took care of Terrence, he should've tried to calm Henry down. And look what's happened all because he didn't do that.

The good doctor’s boat is docked near where the airship is hovering. He takes his husband’s corpse with him in the escape pod, smashing coordinates to launch them out of the ship, and prays that her work can bring him back to life and kill the guilt Reginald feels brewing in his veins.

**III. friend.**

An old friend. That’s all Charles is until his lips meet Rupert’s and they share moments together they can't tell others about. 

He looks forward to whenever they're alone more than he should, and he knows the reason why. Charles’ laugh and his mannerisms and everything else about him are infectious. Rupert can't stop staring whenever they're in the same room together, even when there's other people around them that will definitely catch him staring (and they absolutely have). 

He knows what he feels. He knows the word so well from all the other relationships and crushes he's had. But he's too afraid to say it or even think it. 

And Charles is so understanding to a point that it makes Rupert feel awful. He's so kind, and he doesn't deserve that kindness. He gives everything to him even when he's too embarrassed to give it back. He rambles all he can even when he has nothing to say. It's always been like this, ever since they were in high school, but it becomes more apparent to Rupert as it keeps happening and as their lips keep meeting in private.

He's so deep in his feelings that he's too afraid to tell his old friend. One day he’ll learn how to say “I love you” with words.

**IV. rest.**

Sven never rests, and Burt is getting tired of it. 

It wasn't a secret to anyone that the new Toppat leader gave himself more work than everyone else just to make sure things were running smoothly. He was a fast worker, no doubts about it, but he fails to realize his own limits and neglects himself as a result. Burt tries to step in, but gets shooed off, so all he can wait for now is Sven’s eventual crash from fatigue. 

And it comes, the warning signs being very prevalent. He steps in and gets pushed away until Sven’s passed out on his office table and has to get carried to his bedroom like an unconscious drunk. 

When he wakes up, Burt is sitting right there with him, telling him “good morning” and saying he should sleep in for the day. 

“The rocket launch is more important than that. I can't waste my time like this.”

“We're far ahead of schedule. You can afford to take a break for a bit.”

He does, reluctantly, and Burt smiles while he sleeps.

**V. cold.**

Galeforce ends up back in the tavern where he spent most of his youth drinking away until he was on his lover’s couch in the morning. It's nostalgic. A very bitter sort of nostalgia. He wishes those days weren't wasted now.

One of the doors opens and there stands his man of the hour, someone he still finds himself missing despite what their last real conversation was. The chilling air blowing in from outside reminds him all too much of how it felt back then.

Dmitri finds him, walks over, and sits right next to him at the bar. It is silent for a while with nothing but the cacophony of noises from all the other visitors and drunks to fill it. Neither of them say anything, but one of them has to start.

“He was with the Toppats,” Dmitri starts. “Our son.”

“I know,” Galeforce replies. “We… we saw him at the raid. Charlie was really broken up about it.”

The bartender slides Dmitri his usual drink, and he takes a hard swig of it. “He missed us a lot. Especially Charlie.”

He looks at the TV wistfully as it displays news of the rocket launch they had failed to stop. He sighs and takes another drink.

“Do you think he’ll ever come home, Dmitri?”

“I would like him too. Truthfully, I understand how he feels. I… I miss all of you a lot. Especially you, Hubert.”

One of the doors open again, and with it another freezing wind.

“I do, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> some things to clarify at the end in case anyone got confused:
> 
> 1\. stickpan takes place after TCW, copperright takes place after RPE, calprice doesn't have a set ending but i envisioned it taking place after a PBT route, curtisson takes place after GSPI, and there isn't a set ending for galetrov either but i envisioned it as being either TK, TR or T4L  
> 2\. henry is copperright's child! assume this is the case with anything i write for THSC because i have a lot of feelings about toppat-raised henry  
> 3\. the "son" that galeforce and dmitri are talking about is burt! my hc is that him and charles are twins raised by galeforce and dmitri before a lot of things happened and they went their separate ways
> 
> i wrote all of these little ficlets by timing myself 5 minutes using the words as a prompt. afterwards i'd either clean up what i'd done or finish it and then clean up. it was a lot of fun! i hope you enjoyed these small pieces of love


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